I am a SAHM. Up until recently, I feel like I could entertain ds pretty well. He liked to do tummy time on his activity mat, lay on his back and look at the toys that dangled, etc.
Now he needs more. He can't hold a toy for very long so I have to sit and help him and he gets bored or frustrated. What do you do with your baby? I want to make sure I am challenging him and I feel like I am boring him.
Re: what is your day like with your 4mo old?
For entertainment, I play with her when she's on her playmat, look in the mirror in the bathroom, sing songs, read books until she's fussy (sometimes takes 5 minutes, sometimes 30), play on the playmat some more, play airplane, go outside for a walk, go to the park that's a block away, go to Target to look around, or go to the grocery store for anything we might need...
I'm getting her the Fisher Price Rainforest jumper in a few days and we'll have something else to be entertained by. I also have started trying to find apps to download on my iPad that will entertain her. We're definitely in the same boat. Sometimes I wonder if she's sick of the things we're doing, but I think she's doing okay. ;-) It's mommy that gets bored if anything.
We go for an hour walk with the dog every day, play in the exersaucer, read books, play on the playmat, try tummy time (he hates it!). He "helps" me empty the dish washer or fold laundry, too, and I always tell him everything I am doing, so I talk to him a lot. He loves it when I make funny faces and silly noises and tries to imitate me. I take him for tours of the house and explain who the people in the photos are. He loves being outside, so we hang out on the patio, in the front yard and explore the backyard a couple times a day. :-) And yes, we do run small errands, go grocery shopping and about every other week meet up with a friend and her baby for a cup of coffee or something.
I work full time but I just wanted to say, you really don't need to entertain them much. Things you are doing are great- also try the exercaucer- my first loved it. Read books- they may not sit still but great to start on that.
They really learn by just being around you- on the weekends with my first, I would have TONS of things to get done so we didn't have hours to play. I would talk to her all the time, and bring her everywhere i went- stores, laundry room, etc. I sang songs- she loved itsy bitsy with hand movements as does my 2nd.
Don't feel like you are not doing enough. They learn from life too.
My poor 2nd child just gets carted around or sits on her mat, or swing because my 3 year old needs so much more.